When Chanyeol arrived home he couldn't seem to shake the massive oncoming headache that had slowly started to develop when he had parted from the strange new boy. His mother had been in the kitchen making some pancakes when he arrived, but for some strange reason Chanyeol couldn't find it within himself to say hello. It was like he had just hit a wall of tiredness, his legs wobbled as the pain in his head only grew, he could just about make out the silhouette of his mother's figure as she rushed to his aid, her words falling on deaf ears as he fell onto her. 

The next time Chanyeol woke up he was laying down on his bed with her hand clasped tightly in his, judging by the faint trail marks beneath her eyes he assumed that she had been crying. His voice was harsh when he tried to make the words come out, her body shaking as the grip on his hand got tighter. 

"What happened to you Chanyeol?" she sobbed, her other hand coming up to cup his cheek. "You're after giving me a complete scare, I thought something bad happened to you! I thought someone spiked your drink!" 

"Mum-" he manged to get out but it was hoarse, his throat killing him as he tried to talk more. "w-water!" 

Through her sniffling Chanyeol could see that she was reluctant to leave his side, her facial expressions contouring as she debated what was for the best. Finally she nodded her head and stood up, his hand still very much in her death-like grip. "The one time I wanted you to have fun." she giggled quietly, her voice still raw from all the crying. 

Chanyeol felt terrible as she gently took her hand back allowing his to fall to the bedsheets, they were warm almost as if he had been sleeping in them all night. When he tried to sit himself up, he found that he had lost all strength in his arms. His limbs aching as he forcefully grunted through the pain into a somewhat comfortable position. When his mother returned with two bottles of water Chanyeol's pain stricken face morphed into one filled with relief. 

"You're going to have to tell me everything that happened last night.." she mumbled after some silence had passed between them both, she couldn't look at her son as he quietly sipped away at the refreshing liquid. "every little detail." 

Who was he to lie to his mum? 

So, Chanyeol told his mother everything starting from meeting Mrs Lee in her clothing shop all the way to seeing Heechul at the bar and meeting the strange boy up on Mountain Peak. He almost expected to be nagged about the dangers that was the Peak but to Chanyeol's surprise his mother stayed mute, listening intently to everything that he told her. 

"Mum I swear nothing happened, I didn't even drink an ounce of alcohol last night you can ask Heechul and as for -"  his voice unintentionally cut out as his mind brought him back to the promise he had made to the young boy, which he just realised had never given him his name. "even though he was a complete stranger it felt like I knew him.. or at least felt familiar with him. But we didn't do anything on the peak I swear!"

"I believe you Chanyeol." his mother's lips curled up into a sad smile, it was only now that the college student could see just how old his mother had aged since he was a happy high schooler. The shifts at the hospital had clearly been doing a number on her and Chanyeol almost felt himself lose his voice all over again, a lump forming in his throat. 

"Mum, I'm so sorry that I scared you" he gulped linking their fingers together. "but you know me better than this, I would never place myself in a dangerous position willingly. I don't know what came over me when I came back, when I left him by the base of the mountain I suddenly developed a headache. I don't mean to frighten you anymore than I already have but I generally don't even know how I got home-" 

"Wait!" his mother interrupted, staring deep into his eyes now. "You said that you developed a headache after you left this new strange boy by the mountain base?" 

Chanyeol's lips pressed themselves into a thin line, his nodding head answering for his frozen mouth. His mother didn't react in any of the ways he thought she would, instead Chanyeol was faced with a woman who only resembled his mother. Her grin was so wide that the boy couldn't help but wonder if all the night shifts had finally gotten to her, what type of mother would be smiling when their child just fainted after being out the entire night?!

"I guess I'll just have to stack up on bottled water then," his mother smiled, wiping just below her waterline. "will you be meeting with him again?" 

"Eh-" her son started but was unable to finish due to the words that she spoke registering in his head. "wait so you're not mad?" 

"Are you meeting him again?" 

"I planned to see him later, I was going to help him find someone.." Chanyeol explained, his brows furrowing together in the centre of his forehead. 

"Then no," his mother decided with a wide grin, standing up from the chair she had placed next to his bed. "I already can see that there isn't anything seriously wrong with you, you're just a little dehydrated!" 

"I didn't drink alcohol, I literally just sat up on the Mountain Peak all night how can you just jump to that conclusion?" Chanyeol yelled after his mother, the woman entering a giggling fit after she left her son's bedroom. "Mom!" 

"Why don't you ask that boy of yours hmm?" she teased, poking her head around the corner. Chanyeol's brow raised in confusion, unable to understand why the stranger had anything to do with him being dehydrated. A moment of realisation passed and it was like a light bulb went off in Chanyeol's head. 

"Oh my god we didn't  do anything!" he shouted, throwing the blankets over his head. His mother's boisterous laugh took to the air, Chanyeol letting out quiet whines as his mother continued on down the hallway humming a quiet love song to herself. 

When he was certain that the woman was gone completely Chanyeol poked his head out of the covers, his eyes casing the hallway outside his door. There wasn't any movement or humming that got his attention, Chanyeol decided that it was best to get out of the bed before she came back. With a quick glance towards the alarm clock beside his bed, he was going to be in massive trouble with the stranger if he didn't arrive at the fountain the centre of town on time. 

Strangely enough Chanyeol was able to rise to his feet without much effort, he expected his body to be weak after having collapsed not even half an hour ago but he was standing as if he had been completely healed. He stared down at the empty bottles of water he had just drank, his mind curious as to how much water he needed to keep himself safe. 

Without any more thought Chanyeol quickly jumped into the shower, deciding only to wash his hair with the amount of limited time he had. The warm water was refreshing despite the dangers that the steam had to his still recovering body, Chanyeol couldn't stop the smile from curling his lips as his mind wandered back to the small pink haired boy. 

Pink. It wasn't a colour that you seen a lot of on the island and Chanyeol couldn't help but question how the stranger was going to keep it up with the lack of dye material there, but then he quickly remembered that the smaller had no plans on staying on the island. He wanted to find his friend that he had lost touch with and then Chanyeol assumed that he would be leaving on the first boat back to the mainland. 

When he was finished and freshly dressed Chanyeol travelled into the kitchen to say goodbye to his mum, who was bent over the cooker gazing into a big pot Chanyeol didn't even realise that they had. "What you making?" 

At the sound of his intruding voice Chanyeol's mother jumped about 4 feet in the air, her eyes wide as her hand clutched her chest. "Gods Chanyeol, you scared me half to death!" 

"Sorry," he chuckled, jumping over to the fridge where he grabbed another bottle of water. "I'm going to take this with me this time!" 

"That sounds like a good call." his mother giggled nodded her head, she dropped the towel she had dried her hands in and approached her son. Chanyeol stood straight as she approached with her hands risen, he nuzzled happily into the warmth they gave off once she applied them to his cheeks. "Be safe and have fun! Don't scare me like that again, okay?" 

"Aye aye madam!" Chanyeol teased, throwing the woman a small wink before backing out of her hold. "I'll be sure to get home for dinner, whatever you're cooking smells amazing!" 

"It's a little different than what you're used to but don't worry you'll end up loving it eventually!" his mother's voice was chipper as she quickly returned to her cooking, humming a melody Chanyeol could have sworn he had already heard before. 

When he was on the way out of the house he was stopped in his tracks as the melody finally had words. 

"I have travelled far, across the seas.Searching for a home to me, A person born from land and sea,A question of love and loyalty."

A seagull's cry above him made Chanyeol snap out of his trance, he sent his watch a quick glance before deciding to question his mother on the song later.